Winter mornings at Kurland. The mist hangs over the dam just a little bit longer, as the sun gradually peaks out and starts to warm the grass. It’s a wonder to be ‘up with the birds’, listening to their excited chatter as a leisurely day of birding stretches before you.
We recently welcomed a group of Birdlife Plettenberg Bay members to Kurland for a relaxed morning walk of bird sighting – an opportunity that few twitchers decline. The estate’s biodiversity is spectacular, and the mix of gardens, open fields, indigenous forest and wetland means that every walk is slightly different, and no two bird lists ever look quite the same.
As they were quite a big group, they split into two – one bunch heading straight for the dam, while the others wandered through the fields before meeting up later. As always, most of the action centred around the water.
The White-backed Duck was one of the morning’s favourites. Sitting low in the water, he’s easy to overlook until you catch that distinctive white patch near the eye – or, if you’re lucky, the flash of white across his back as he takes flight. Nearby, Little Grebes bobbed between the reeds, making it easy to compare the two species side by side.
The lively White-faced Whistling Ducks certainly lived up to their name, while Blacksmith Lapwings kept a close eye on everyone, noisily dive-bombing photographers who ventured a little too close to the lily pads where African Jacanas were picking their way across the water.
Along the wetland edges, Levaillant’s Cisticolas were calling from every direction, joined by the chattering Little Rush Warblers hidden deep in the reeds. And there was plenty happening in the gardens too, with Collared and Greater Double-collared Sunbirds moving between flowering shrubs, Black-headed Orioles calling from the trees, and Cape Weavers, Fiscal Flycatchers and Red-winged Starlings all making an appearance.
By the end of the morning, the group had collectively recorded 34 species. That’s a healthy list for an easy winter walk, and a reminder that you don’t have to venture far to enjoy good birding at Kurland.
A few of the other birds spotted during the morning (not mentioned above) included:
- Black-headed Heron
- African Darter
- Cape Shoveler
- Black Crake
- Red-knobbed Coot
- Neddicky
- Cape Wagtail
- Helmeted Guineafowl
There were plenty more on the list too, from Cape Crows and Speckled Mousebirds to Black-collared Barbets and even the ever-present Hadadas, making sure nobody forgot they were there.
Back at the Homestead, the morning finished the way many good Kurland walks do: with tea, coffee, homemade cake, and plenty of fireside conversation. There was some debate over favourite sightings, a fair amount of comparing photographs, and already a few hopes that another walk could be arranged before too long. After all, there are worse ways to spend a Saturday morning than wandering around Kurland with binoculars in hand.
Photo credit Ian Thomas